Love That Burns

ten

"What do you see?" He asked.

Jean noticed you and Scott in the doorway. "Y/N!" She greeted. "Scott!" Jean pulled her hands away from Logan. "Goodnight, Logan."

Logan turned, making eye contact with you. His breath caught as a brief image of you smiling flashed before his eyes. Jean walked past Scott and over to you, grabbing your hand and pulling you down the hall.

"Jean?" You said, confused.

"I saw you," Jean stated, stopping in front of her and Scott's room.

"What?"

"I saw you in his mind. You're in there. His memories of you are in there."

"Don't..." you shook your head. "Don't give me hope, Jean. I don't want it." You turned away and looked at the door that Scott had just closed.

"The ring is yours, isn't it?" Your head fell, hands coming up to cover your face. "The engagement ring with his dog tags."

"Yes."

"Oh, Y/N." Jean quickly went around and hugged you. You melted into her with tears.

"I thought he was dead, Jean... for twenty-two years, I believed he was dead..." Scott came up from behind, resting a caring hand on your back. "He doesn't remember me," you sobbed. "I love him and he doesn't even know who I am."

Jean and Scott moved you into their bedroom as your cries worsened. Neither of them noticed Logan peering out of his room. He could hear someone crying. When he noticed it was you, he only grew more curious. But before Logan could hear what you were crying about, you were led into another bedroom. There hadn't been a time in his twenty-two years of memory, where Logan's heart ached like it did now. None of this was making any sense to him. Who were you? And what were you keeping from him?

~~~

Eventually, you ended up in your own bed. Crying should have worn you out, but you couldn't sleep. Not with Logan in the next room over, having a nightmare. You bit your lip as you struggled to not rush over there. You didn't want to overwhelm him. But his grunting, moaning, and cries were tearing you apart. Suddenly, you heard the familiar release of his claws and his screams.

"Help me!" Logan shouted. "Somebody, help!"

You were out of bed and into the next room before you knew it. You stood in the doorway to see Marie—or Rogue—the girl who came in with Logan, touching his face. Logan was greying, struggling to breathe. From what you had heard, Rogue was not supposed to touch others, as it could be dangerous. Rogue pulled away before you could stop her. Logan fell to the ground, trembling. You were quick to rush over to Logan's side, placing his head in your lap to steady him.

"It's okay," you whispered. "I'm right here."

Scott, Jean, and Ororo rushed into the room. Jean and Scott quickly joined you on the floor with Logan.

"It was an accident," Rogue said to Ororo as students gathered in the doorway.

Scott, Jean, and Ororo rushed in and joined you on the floor with Logan.

"Jean, will he be okay?" You asked, trying to bury the emotions within you but clearly failing.

"His mutation is kicking in," Jean explained as she looked him over. "He just needs rest. Scott, help me get him on the bed."

You watched as Scott and Jean worked together to lift Logan—and his metal skeleton—onto the bed. Jean carefully got him situated before you stood up.

"We should all get some rest," Jean stated.

You shook your head. "I'm not leaving," you said, pulling up at chair to the side of Logan's bed. "Not until I know he's alright."

"Y/N—" Scott tried, only to be stopped by Jean.

Scott sighed and the two of the left to go get the students who woke up back to bed. You sat on the chair, staring at Logan. He was your James in looks, but everything else was different. Including his personality. The years and memory loss had turned him into a rough man with walls up to protect himself. You suspected that he was also claiming it was to protect everyone around him as well.

~~~

"Logan?" Charles called, feeling the man lying on the bed begin to wake.

"What happened?" Logan wondered, looking at where Charles was beside him. "Is she all right?"

"She's be all right."

"What did she do to me?"

"When Rogue touches someone, she takes their energy, their life force. In the case of mutants, she absorbs their gifts for a while. In your case, your ability to heal."

"I feel like she almost killed me."

"If she'd held out any longer, she could have."

Logan nodded, trying to place his thoughts together. He nightmare that he was in the midst of before Rogue came in was a familiar one. The flashes of the experiment they did on him. But there were some different scenes this time. Flashes of you. You crying. You laughing. You just talking to him. Turning his head, Logan finally realized that you were curled up in a chair, sound asleep. He looked at you with furrowed brows. Something inside of him hated seeing you asleep on the chair. You should be in a bed.

"She refused to leave your side," Charles told him.

"Who is she?" Logan repeated the question from hours before. "I think... I think I knew her... Jean jumped into my brain and I think she did something. I keep seeing Y/N's face."

Charles sighed. "I suggest you talk to Y/N in the morning. She is the only one able to explain things."

"Can you at least tell me how long Y/N's been here?"

"Twenty-two years."

Logan's eyes snapped back to look at you. There was something you were hiding. Between the time frame being the same and your face appearing in his mind, Logan knew that you were some part of his past. You had answers to questions that Logan had been searching for.

"Thanks, Professor," Logan said, sitting up. "I'll watch her."

Charles nodded, heading for the door. He glanced back and saw Logan out of bed, heading for you. Charles watched as Logan picked you up and gently set you on the bed, tucking you in before taking his place in your chair. The Professor couldn't help but smile as he left the room. There was some hope for you two after all.